Paring-machine.



G. JAHANSAN.

PARING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00129. 1908.

943,249. Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

25 WITNESSES- G. JAHANSAN.

PARING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T.29, 1908.

943,249. Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIUE.

GUSTAF J 'AHANSAN, OF CR ANSTON, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR F ONE-THIRD T0 RHODE ISLAND.

TO GEORGE L. TITUS, BOTH 0F PROVIDENCE,

BAKING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

Application filed October 29, 1908. Serial No. 459,983.

To all whom it may, concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAF J AHANSAN, of Cranston, .in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paring-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for paring potatoes and other vegetables of like general form, and is embodied in a machine which includes a pair of alined jaws adapted to grasp the ends of a potato, and removable in a predetermined path with the potato with which they are engaged, and a plurality of paring blades arranged to substantially surround the path of the jaws, and pressed yieldingly inward toward said path so that they are adapted to yi-eldingly engage the potato moved by the jaws, means being provided for conforming the blades to the varying inclinations of the surface of the potato, and the entire arrangement being such that a movement of the potato through said path will cause the jaws to remove'substantially all parts of the skin of the potato excepting the parts directly in contact with the jaws, a pair of end paring blades being provided which are movable crosswise of the path'of the jaws and are adapted to remove the end portions of the skin of the potato which are covered by the jaws.

The invention consists in the improvedmachine which I will now proceed to describe and.claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a potato paring machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 22 of Fig. 1. ig. 3 represents a fragmentary sectional View illustrating the operation of paring a potato. Fig. 4 represents a diagrammatic View showing the preferred arrangement of the paring blades. Fig. 5 represents a plan View of the spring detent plate hereinafter referred to. Figs. 6 and 7 represent a front and an edge vlew of a hand operated paring member.

Thesame reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The supporting frame of the machine, as here shown, includes a frame member 12, preferably of annular form mounted on supporting legs 13.

14 represents a fixed standard rising from guides 15.

and proguides 15 of any sultable oneside of theframe member 12 vided with fixed construction in which vertical shanks 16 and a jaw 17. The

'each other and are adapted to grasp a potato 20 or other vegetable of like form. The shanks 16 and 18 are movable independently of each other in the guides 15, and are connected by a spring 21 which is attached at one end to an arm or projection 22 on the shank 16, and at the other end to an arm from the said bent portion,,its lowerv or projection 23 on the shank 18, said spring acting to move the jaws 17 and 19 towar each other and hold them yieldingly closed upon a potato inserted between them.-

The jaws are movable in unison in a predetermined vertical path governed by the The upward movement of the lower jaw 19 is limited so that it cannot rise above a predetermined point which is just above the upper pair of paring blades, hereinafter described. The upper jaw 17 is enabled by the spring 21 to move upwardly above the jaw 19 to any distance required by the size of the potato inserted between the jaws. The jaw shanks and the guides in which they move are formed to prevent the jaws from swinging out of their predetermined path, between the paring blades hereinafter described. The shank 16 is provided with a projection 16 against which a similar projection 18 on the shank 18 is normally held by the spring 21.

The machine is provided with a plurality of paring blades 24 which are so arranged that they collectively surround the path in which the jaws and the potato grasped thereby are movable, there being a suflicient number of blades 24 to act on practically all the parts of the surface of the potato, the blades extending in difierent horizontal directions so that they collectively surround the space through which the potato is passed by the downward movement of the jaws. Means are provided. for yieldingly pressing each blade inwardly toward the path of the jaws, and for automatically governing the inclination of each blade by the inclination of the portion of the potato on which it acts. In the construction here shown, means are provvided as follows :-Each blade 24 has at its ends upwardly projecting arms 25, 25 which are connected by horizontal rods 26, 27. Qn said rods are loosely mounted filltlfl'lCtlOIl rolls 28 adapted to bear upon the surface of the potato, each rod having two rolls, which are separated by a space into which a portion of the convex surface of the potato pro-- jects.

toward the path of the jaws. The lever 29.

upper rod 26 and the v is jointed loosely to the lever 30. is connected by a link 38.with the lower rod 27.

It will be seen that the above described construction provides not only for a yielding pressure. of the paring blades against the potato, but also for a variation of their inclination, the inclination of the blades being governed by the surface of the potato, as indicated clearly in Fig. 3, where the rolls 28 are shown as bearing against the surface I of the potato above the paring blades 24.

' right angles with the path of the jaws 17. and 19. The upper blade 40 is attached to a.

The paring blades are preferably arranged in pairs, each supported as above described, one blade of each pair being directly. opposite the other blade of the same pair, an the pairs of blades being mounted at different heights and at different angles so that the blades collectively surround the potato without interfering with each other.

In the operation of the machine, the jaws 17 and 19 are raised until the lower jaw 19 is above the'upper pair of blades 24. The potato is then inserted between the jaws and downward pressure is exerted on the shank of the upper jaw, this pressure being communicated to the potato, and through the latter to the lower jaw, so that the jaws and the potato are moved downwardly through the space surrounded by the paring blades.

During this movement each paring blade removes a portion of the skin of the potato, the several blades removing longitudinal strips of skin, and denuding the same from end to end, thus removing practically all parts of the skin excepting those with which the jaws 17 and 19 are in contact.

40, 41 represent two end paring blades which are adapted to oscillate'in planes at head 42 which 18. adapted to oscillate on a fixed stud 14 in a predetermined horizontal path, ment on said stud. The arrangementof the blade 40 issuch that it moves across the path of the jaws just below the upper jaw 17 when the latter is at the lower extreme of its movement,"said blade being adapted to sever the portion of the skin of the potato on which the upper jaw 17 bears. The lower blade 41 is adapted not only to oscillate with the blade 40, but to move vertically on one of the supporting legs 13, said blade being affixed to ahead 44 to which is attached by rods 44 a sliding collar 44 located in the path of a stud or projection 45 on the shank 18 which supports the lower jaw, the arrangement being such that when the jaws are moved downwardly, the projection 45 with the-head 44 and blade 41, so that when the lower jaw is at the lower extreme of its movement, the path of the blade 41 will be just above it, and the blade in moving across lower end of the potato the portion of the skin on which the lower jaw bears.

The heads 42 and 44 supporting the end paring blades 40 and 41, are connected to cause said blades to swing in unison by means of a rod 46 aifixed to the head 42 and adapted to slide in an orifice in the head 44. The end paring blades 40 and 41 are actuated by one end at 47 with a fixed part of the supwith the head 42, said spring acting to swing the blades 40 and 41 across the path of the jaws to the position shown by dotted lines in Fi 2. Means are provided for locking the blades 40 and 41 in a retracted position at one side of-the path of the jaws against the stress of the spring 47, said means as here shown including the rod or pin 46 and a spring detent composed of a resilient plate 48 attached at one end to one of the legs 13 and having an orifice 46 adapted to'receive the lower end of the pin 46. The free end of the spring plate 48 is located in the path of the shank 16 supporting the upper, jaw, so that when the jaws descend, jsaid shank will strike the plate 48 and press the latter downwardly far enough to release it from the pin 46, thus allowin the spring 47 to swing the end paring bla es 40 and 41 across the path of the jaws, this action taking place at the end of the downward movement of the jaws and the otato; The head 44 carryingly held in a raised position bya spring 50. From the foregoing, it will be seen that the aws, the end paring blades are released from their retracted position and are forced by the spring 47 across the path of the jaws, and are caused to slice off the skin from the ing the lower en paring blade 41 is yieldat the end of the downward movement of ends of the potato with which the jaws are and is confined against verticalmovestrikes the collar 44 and depresses the latter the-path of the jaws, will remove from the means of a spring 47 which is connected at.

porting frame, and at the other end at 4" engaged, the upper blade 40 moving in a path of predetermined height while the lower blade moves in a path the height of which is governed by the position of the lower jaw 19, and therefore by the length of the potato.

51 represents a handle attached to the head 44 for convenience in swinging the blades 40 and 41 to their retracted position.

To avoid unnecessary multiplication of parts, I have shown in Fig. 1 what will be understood as two pairs of paring blades 24, the blades of one pair being at'right angles with the blades of the other pair. In practice, however, I prefer to provide four pairs of blades 24, relatively arranged, as shown in Fig. 4, when viewed from above, and all engaged with a potato, the latter being shown by dotted lines in said figure.

In Fig. 3 I show a sectional view of the jaws and of one pair of blades 24 engaged with a potato, the curved dotted lines below the blades indicating the outer surface of the paring already removed, while the curved dotted lines above the blades indicate the line along which the blades are to cut in completing their work. The horizontal dotted lines near the upper and lower ends of the potato indicate the paths of the end paring blades 40 and 41, when the upper jaw 17 has reachedthe lower extreme of its movement.

My invention is not limited to the details of construction here shown, and the same may be variously modified without depart ing from the spirit of the invention.

Each of the blades 24 and the parts which support it constitute a potato paring member, the essential features of which are a blade, a carrier for the blade, and a rest mounted'on the carrier and adapted to bear on a potato and govern the angle of the blade relatively to the potato. 1n the embodiment of the inventlon here shown, the arms 25 at the ends of the blade, the levers 29 and 30 and the rods 26 and 27 constitute the carrier, the rolls 28 constituting collectively an anti-frictional rest mounted on the carrier. It is obvious that the details of construction of the carrier and rest maybe variously modified, so long as they are'relatliely arranged to secure the described resu t. 1

In .Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a modified construction of a paring member in which the arms 25 are attached to a shank 53 which constitutes a part of the carrier. A single rod 26 is employed tosuppkort two anti-friction rolls 28 constituting t e rest. The aring member thus constituted is adapte to be used by hand.

The two antifriction rolls 2 8 are separated from each other by a space operation.

into which a portion of'the-crowning surface of a potato projects during the paring The rolls are there ore prevented by the surface of the potato from moving endwise or in the direction of the length of the cutting edge of the knife, so that the knife is prevented,by the potato and the rolls from moving endwise out of its proper operative relation to the potato.

It is obvious that the described machine may be used for paring any vegetable or fruit which is capable of being treated in the manner described.

I claim:

1. A paring machine comprising a pair of clamping jaws movable in a predetermined path, means for yieldingly pressing said jaws against a body placed between.

them, and a plurality blades arranged to said path, and adapted to assume different angles relatively to the said path, means for yieldingly pressing said blades inwardly to ward the path of the. jaws, and means for conforming the blades to the varying inclinations of the surface of a body engaged by the jaws.

2. A paring machine comprising a pair of clamping jaws adapted to engage a body to be pared, and movable in a predetermined path, and a plurality of paring blades, arranged to substantially surround the said path, means for yieldingly pressing said blades inwardly toward the path of the jaws,-nieans for conforming the blades to the varying inclinations of the surface of a body engaged by the jaws, and a pair of end paring blades movable crosswise of said of pivoted paring path and adapted to remove the end' portions of the body.

3. A paring machine comprising means for grasping a body to be pared at opposite parts of the surface and moving it in a predetermined path, and a plurality of paring blades arranged to substantially surround the body, each blade having arms at its ends, rods mounted in said arms and rolls journaled on said arms and .ada ted to bear on the surface of the body, the lade being yieldingly sup orted by apair of springprgssed pivot d levers connected with said ro s.

4. A paring machine comprising a pair of clampin jaws adapted to engage a bod to be pare and movable in a predetermined path, means for yieldingly ressing the 'aws toward each other means or parin a ody held and moved by the jaws, an paring blades ada ted to oscillate in unison across the. path 0 the body, one of said blades being movable in a predetermined path, and the other in a path which is governed by the size of the body interposed between the aWS'.

5. A paring machine comprising a pair of clampi jaws adapted to engage a body to be pare andmovable in a predetermined path, means for yieldingly pressing the jaws substantially surround able with the lower clampingjaw.

6. A paring machine comprising a pair of clamping "j aws adapted to engage a body to be pared, and movable in a predetermined path, and aplurality of paring blades arranged to substantially surround the said path, means for yieldingly pressing said blades inwardly toward the path of the jaws, means for oonforniing the blades to the varying inclinations of the surface of a body engaged by the'jaws, a pair of end paring blades movable crosswise of said path and adapted to remove the end portions of the body, means for locking said end paring blades in a retracted position,

and means for releasing the blades when the clamping jaws descend, a spring being provided for moving the end-paring blades across the path of the body. 1

7. A paring device comprising a blade, a carrier therefor, and rolls rotatably mounted on the carrier and adapted to bear on the body being pared, and govern the angle of the blade, said rolls being rotatable on an axis substantially parallel with the cutting edge of theblade, and separated by a space adapted to receive a portion of the surface of the body, whereby endwise displacement of the blade relatively to the body is prevented.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

f GUSTAF J AHANSAN.

'l/Vitnesses LUCIUS F. ARNOLD, JoHN C. DAVIS. 

